The Unintended Consequences-7th Experiment-Rekindling the Dreams

One corner of Chattisgarh is under shade of Naxal attack on CRPF and we are at the other corner of the State to do a benefit-mapping excercise of the village-Ranidehra in Kawardha which was electrified by us.

As discussed in one of the earlier posts-"The Wall", inspite of best efforts; much alike other development interventions,  project has created more opportunities for some compared to others in the village due to earlier socio-economic basing of people there. "The Wall" shared the relatively larger increase in income for the Shop owner with electrification in the village. This is very much understandable "if the development intervention can link to the livelihood opportunities it will lead to a better outcome"

This benefit mapping excercise is revealing some other learnings. Some people shared that now their children are able to study after sun-set, some children among them above 3rd class are attending the computer class within the village, some people who collect minor forest produce are able to stay for a longer period in the forest as processing work, they can now do even after sun-set under light, saving in getting their rice-dehusked in the power plant instead of going to block dehusking machine ......Most of them want to get light for more number of hours, but as shared earlier due to low productivity of Jatropha seeds (almost 10% of what was scientifically claimed when we started the project!!), its not possible to extract higher quantity of Jatropha oil and run the power plant for  more number of hours.

However some are sceptical that due to this renewable energy based light, grid light is not coming to the village, so they see this as a hinderance. Grid lines have been laid in this village and other neighbouring villages since last 2 years, but due different reasons none of the villages are getting power supply from Grid, so people in this village attribute it to the renewable energy based light as a reason. But when our team asked further that if this was the reason then other villages nearby must have got the power supply as there we have not done this renewable energy based electrification and there they realize that yes this village is lucky atleast it has got light continuoously without distruption since last 3 years, even if its for a limited duration.

One startling observation was in the social space. Tribals see, taking dowry equivalent to begging. So bridegroom's family never asks for dowry but willingly bride's family gives some consumer durables. Earlier before electrfication it used to be utensils, bicycle etc and recent marriages in this village, saw marriage gifts in terms of television, cd player etc.  Design of project would have possibly never had this in its agenda.

The Unintended consequences!!!!

In anycase "Bane-Bane" (Vernacular equivalent of "All is Well")

And he Said

I was sitting idly, bit sad and as a natural humane reaction, started complaining to self about all problems which have engulfed my life. Someone stopped by to listen

"I have so many problems all around, I don't have big bungalow , I don't have a car................... and the list went on"

He listened to all my complaints very patiently

And He said "I fully agree with you, can I take 10 minutes from your busy life to tell you something"

I didn't want to talk to this stranger but somehow agreed

And he said "While we discuss this can u keep a pen, a notebook, a calculator and if possible a PC with internet"

Amused by the things he asked me to keep for conversation specially the last one, I said "ok done..all things ready"

And he said " U have so caring parents, so affectionate sisters, so supportive cousins and other relatives with you, who share all your pain and discomfort, more often even by sacrificing their own happiness because they want to see you happy"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what, everyone in the world has this"

And he said "Can you google it, how many children in the world are born who never see either their mother or father or both? I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages on internet and the number's I must admit made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I immediately asked "Which currency your want Rupee, Dollar, Euro, Pound, Yen...."

And he said "Hold on, If i tell you to choose one currency it will limit our discussion in the boundary of one or other man-made nationality. Let value be just value, just give some value which comes to your mind"

After thinking for a while I said ok let me put 10 million.

And he said "Ok then, we move ahead. You have got all body parts intact, you need not depend upon other's for performing your basic chores. You have an average brain to help you read, write and think. You went to school, did graduation from some good college at surat, did master's from another good institute in anand. So now you are a postgraduate"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what everyone in the world gets this"

And he said "Can you google it, how many children in the world are born able bodied. How many among them who are able bodies get even primary education leave graduation post graduation from some good college?  I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages on internet and the number's which i saw I must admit again made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I brainstormed did all cost-benefit analysis and said let me put 7 million

And he said "You have got a roof overhead, even if its a rented one room, you have got some money in your bank account which helps you meet all your basic needs and you are born in a free country with relatively responsible government which has arranged some form of  public transport which helps you move around"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what everyone in the world gets that"

And he said "Can you google it, how many people in the world have shelter in a minimal form which can save them from heat, cold and rain. How many of them have this "little money" in their bank account which helps them meet their basic needs? How many of them are born in the "civil or cross country war torn country" How many of them get this public transport to reach in time to a hospital in case of medical emergency.?  I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages and the number's I must admit again  made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I thought for a while and just wrote some random number 999
..
........
...................................

The discussion went on and by the time 10 minutes were about to end

He looked at his watchsaid " Ok,here we stop... this discussion can go on for many years to come, but since I took only 10 min permission from you, let me stop now. Can u just add upon the numbers which you have assigned"

I took out the calculator and quickly added up (as if I was sitting in my mathematics quiz)..

I said " This sums upto 99 million" and added "See I am not a billionare.."

He said "You know why you are left 1 million short of billion. Its just to ensure that your know that how every million counts in your life. Once you get this realization the remaining 1 million comes as "satisfaction" and that makes you billionaire. Ensure you value all this wealth you have, because everyone in the world is not blessed with such richness"

I had no words.

Sensing my state of mind he said "You know all the while i was trying to listen to your complaint and let you understand your wealth, I missed to bless few people with this Million richness. One such kid is born in a "civil war torn country" in Sub-Saharan Africa, in a minority community , in a low caste family which lives what you people call as "below poverty line", kid is a girl child and unfortunately with limbs crippled from birth. Oh see another kid in naxal affected village of Jharkhand....another in"

Seeing the clearly evident worry which I had on my face about the future  life of the kids..

He said " Don't  worry. Your worrying will not help me. You know why I gave you so many millions of wealth. It's just to ensure that you will share some of this wealth through your care, concern and a genuine support to those whom inpiste of my best efforts I could not bless  with one or other form of this million wealth. Will you do me this favor? Can you atleast reach out that Kid in Sub-Saharan Africa or in the village of Jharkhand who  are left unblessed from this wealth, while I was busy listening you"

Though hesitant but still I said "Yes, I will try my best. But who are you, which place you belong............"

 He smiled and said "Let me not tell my name or else you people will again label me as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jew, Christian etc.... or make me an Indian, Japanese, Izraeli, Iraqi etc,,or thinking that I gave you some enlightenment, some people might start a new religion on my name and again start fighting against each other."

Before I could thank him.

He left a note on my notebook which read "God Bless".and he left

When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

There would be time when situation's will shake you up

But don't allow them to break you up

At times chances of winning would be bleak

Still don't allow hopelessness to speak

Because When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

There would be time when hurdles will encroach your path

But don't allow them to poach you  to sabbath

At times you will be all alone

Still don't allow loneliness make you drone

Because When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

In all those times if you remain that one in million

Its for sure that every hard moment will take the pillion

Glory and Success will follow your path

The path which has name of just one in million

तो याद रखना

गर गिरे तो याद रखना  तू शीशा नहीं जो गिरने से बिखर जाएगा
गर हारे तो याद रखना तू मोम नहीं जो जरा सी हार से पिघल जाएगा
इतिहास गवाह है बुरा वक़्त भी वक़्त के साथ गुजर जाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो

गर साथ न मिले कोई तो याद रखना  तू भेड़ नहीं जो भीड़ के बिना चल न पाएगा
गर हाथ न मिले कोई तो याद रखना तू तिनका नहीं जो लहरों में बह जाएगा
इतिहास गवाह है कोई हो न हो अपनेआपको को सदा अपने साथ पाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो


गर तू ये भूल गया अपने सपनो से डोल गया
तो याद रखना तेरा सपनो का महल सपनो में बुनकर रह जाएगा
फिर इतिहास तेरे सपनो का गवाह बनकर कैसे ये कह पाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो

Lost Relations !!

In the morning as a part of my daily habit, I open up my orkut account to convey best wishes to people who have their Birthday.

But today, while I was about to type down "Many happy returns of the day" as we do subconsciously, a shrill went within, my bad memory recalled back that this batch-mate of mine from Surat whom I was about to convey my wishes had passed away 5 months back.

I didn't know what to do, so left his scrapbook as such without writing anything.

We normally tend to take our close friends and relatives for-granted and miss them when they are not near to us or when Almighty takes them away from us.

Earlier people used to keep in touch through those Inland letters and postcards which used to take their own usual "Indian standard time". Don;t know but few known-one's from my grandfather's generation tell that they used to care more, kept in touch with everyone inspite of absence of these mobiles and internet. Now with advent in IT, we hv instant messengers, email and other social networking mediums- the chances of communication have improved- but somehow this "extra" busyness of "something" stops us? Is that true with u also ?

I didn't want this post to sound philosophical, but some questions definitely are worth giving a thought

* There must some 5-6 people in everyone;s life who would be very close to heart. Have we spoken to them in near past? If not, should v not have a word with them may be for a minute today?or R v under an impression that life will surely give another chance tomorrow?

*There might be some 2-3 people who would have inspired us in someway or the other. Did we express our gratitude to them or we r under the pretext that they will understand our unspoken words? May be they are waiting to hear !!!

*Inspite of claims of we being adult, all of us have a child hidden within us, which in moments of distress wants to cry by putting head on someone's shoulder. R v still in touch with those close buddies who shared our moments of sorrow? Over the period, hv our relations becomes formal with them also or do we still share same fondness and can buzz over them to cry out our emotions?

* Have we answered back to all unreplied mails, telephone calls or messages received over cellphone/instant messangers? Or r v presuming that the people who wanted to communicate us when we were busy will never mind our non-reply? Would be a dangerous assumption!!

Let's value them if not more than our work atleast equal to that or else very soon they will become our "Lost Relations"!!!

जिंदगी

सूरज के साफ़ उजाले की तरह जिंदगी के हर पल उजले नहीं होंगे
कभी राहें नहीं होगी तो कभी हमराही नहीं होंगे
कर्त्तव्य का दीपक जलाए रखना साथी
क्यूंकि हर वक़्त आंधी नहीं होगी हर पल तूफान नहीं होंगे

जिंदगी की राह में पत्थर भी मिलेंगे कांटे भी मिलेंगे
कांटे और पत्थर क्या, दोस्त बन कर कुछ लोग गिराने वाले भी मिलेंगे
गिरने पर भी उठ खड़े होना साथी
क्यूंकि हर वक़्त ठोकरें नहीं होंगी हर पल गिराने वाले नहीं होंगे

मुश्किलें तो हवा का झोंका है आएंगी और जाएंगी
हिम्मत मत हारना साथी बुझती लौ ही नए दीपक को जलाएँगी
पर तू जो ठोकर से टूट गया या कर्त्तव्य से छूट गया
तो फिर तेरी जीत के किस्से नहीं होंगे तेरी कब्र पर पर रोने वाले नहीं होंगे

उम्मीद

ना  हार  से  ना  जीत  से
बस  केवल  एक  उम्मीद  से
वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ
गीत नया गाता हूँ 

हार  तो   कई  बार  हुई  और  ना  जाने  फिर  कितनी  बार  होगी

हर  लक्ष्य  के  समीप  एक  नयी  दीवार  खड़ी  होगी

पर  यकीं  है  कि हर  हार  की  फिर  हार  होगी

क्योंकि  ना  हार  से  ना  जीत  से

बस  केवल  एक  उम्मीद  से

वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ

गीत नया गाता हूँ

जानता  हूँ  कई  बार  राह  नज़र  नहीं  आएगी

नज़र  भी  आई  तो   परिस्थितियों  के  थपेड़ों  में  मिट  जायेगी

पर  यकीं  है  हर  मिटी  राह  पर  एक  नयी  राह  बन  जाएगी

क्योंकि  ना  हार  से  ना  जीत  से

बस  केवल  एक  उम्मीद  से

वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ

गीत नया गाता हूँ

यकीं  है  हर  कठिनाई   से  लड़  जाऊंगा

मौत  भी आई  तो  शहीद  ही  कहलाऊंगा

डर  है  तो  केवल  इस  उम्मीद  के  चोरी  हो  जाने  का

क्योंकि  ना  हार  से  ना  जीत  से

बस  केवल  एक  उम्मीद  से

वक़्त के पन्नों पर कुछ लिखता मिटाता हूँ

गीत नया गाता  हूँ

Rekindling the Dreams.. New Vistas

Seems like new vistas will open in our endeavor towards creation of self-reliant rural economy with rural energy access as entry point.


Last week was in Ranidhera, the village we have electrified using jatropha and village committee is managing it on their own since last 32 months. (Details: http://shardagautam.blogspot.com/2009/08/7th-experiment-rekindling-dreams.html )


Some experiments on field r in planning phase with respect to using byproducts of jatropha seed,  if successful will lead to increase in farm fertility of the village and would provide improved and cheaper cooking fuel. 


Mostly from Jan 2010 we will begin this experiment..Lets keep the fingers crossed !!!

Stockholm to Copenhegan: Where the "Common man" stands !

Much fuss has been created over these 37 years and more is yet to follow. Leaving all jargons aside, the game is all about meeting fundamental needs of 6+ billion current population and simultaneously  ensuring that future generation is also able to meet their basic needs.

Irrespective of the result of Copenhegan summit, it remains a responsibility of each of us to contribute our bit as cognizant and sincere universal citizen (assumption true as u hv still not left reading this post after first line)  . This "contribution of bit" doesn't call for attending 2009 COP or fund raising or taking a banner and making a rally for awareness (!!), but it simply calls for some simple questions

Do V avoid use of polythene when v go for buying fruits and vegetables? Do V avoid personal vehicle where public transport is available easily? Do V use carpool for going to office instead of individual cars (I know my colleagues in automotive sector would be angry as this will reduce hamper their car sale targets but still!!)? Do V attempt to purchase articles of daily use from non-plastic make? Do V make alternate use of household stuff before dumping them as trash? Do V avoid unnecessary lighting (remember grid power is from coal, so howsoever one rich is to pay the electricity bills, one is not rich enough to compensate Carbon emission)? R V willing to replace our our high power consuming equipments like geyser with say solar water heater?............................

As iterated earlier, for ensuring well being of everyone across the world, V can never be sure what governments and world leaders will do but V can always be sure what V "the common man" can always do and lets pledge to do it, after-all at the end its the common man who is going to face the wrath of nature!!!

Father to his son

Moments will come, moments will go 
With some sweet and some bitter songs at your bow

There will be time when it will be  heavy rain

Promise me you won’t let it wash your aim

There will be time when sun will be at  top

Promise me you won’t let it your fight stop

Moments will come, moments will go

With some sweet and some bitter songs at your bow

There will be people to say your chances of winning are remote

Promise me you will still keep up hope

There will be friends who will leave you in the battle

Promise me you will still prove your mettle

Moments will come, moments will go

With some sweet and some bitter songs at your bow

There will be time when I will also move away

Promise me you will still keep on with the way

In the end it will not matter even if I am not there

Because this promise will make me alive with every success you achieve as my successor


Moments will come, moments will go 

With some sweet and some bitter songs at your bow

(Poem based on  feelings which my father expressed, when I met him after demise of my beloved grandffather)

Happy Bday

Innumerable people come in our lives, stay for some period and then physically leave the place but some of them still continue to live in us because they belong to the esteemed class of teachers. Among those "Architects of my Life", there was one such person, whose Birthday is today but i can't wish him, because physically he left this world five months back. He has been a teacher, a friend, a moral builder, a spiritual awakener............ everything for me. If he would not have been in my life, specially in the early years of childhood, possibly I would also have been running in the rat-race of earning money ignoring the stark deprivation which people around us in different parts of the world are facing. Prof. Channiwala was not wrong when he asked my parents that he often wondered that there must be some other great teacher also behind this student of mine . Channiwala sir wanted to him, but then it couldn't happen....

My vocabulary doesn't have words for expressing my gratitude to the enlightened soul.
Down the years in my life, If I will be able to do something worthwhile for the suffering masses across the world, it would be my greatest guru-dakshina to  this "Architect of my Life" who has in one way or the other made me realize the essence of life.
Happy Bday Nanaji

Vidharbha Farmers Suicide

As they say, problems are often blessings in disguise, (might be an optimistic view of looking at things), loosing Jharkhand project and what all followed aftermath started a new chapter. Somnath Sir (VP of the organization i m working with & next one in the list of Architect's of my life) gave a free hand to evolve the development projects which i intend to do, and so the journey has begun again!!.
Most probably immediate step would be to devise some support program in Vidharbha. I was reading through the reports of farmers suicide and factors leading to it, got reminded of the "Narayanpur Express" simulation game during IRMA induction. That simulation game had  touched me from within, when as a farmer with 2 acres of land and one buffalo with 4 members to feed under the vagaries of pest attack, uncertain rain and variable subsidy  policy of the government, with my partner in the game Samantha we had to sell  more than half of the land at the end of imaginary 3 years of the game. I felt very miserable selling the land which was the only asset in the game for me as a farmer but then that's what farmers face in reality which was just a 4-5 hour game for us. While reading through the suicide cases of Vidharbha,  misery and vulnerability of their life appeared vividly, but as promised to Somnath sir, this time tears are withheld within the heart to ignite the cause v are striving for.

Future is yet to unfold

The thursday

This thursday(24th sept), I shouldn't say was a bad day but indeed I can't call it a good day too. Our Jharkhand rural electrification project was lost, due to some changes in bureaucratic circle in the ministry at the last stage of approval. Loosing or getting a project funded is part and parcel for all not-for-profit organizations, but then this project could have positively impacted lives of some 500 odd families in the two villages, children in these villages would have got light to study in the night (day time  they have to support their parents on field or in forest), some local enterprise (wheat four mill/ rice dehusking) would have come up with the electricity in place, rabi crops could have been possible with irrigation ................ but all this now got delayed with this....till we get some other donor to support the project.

I might sound pessimistic but at times I feel very suffocated, we are witnessing the problem, with some professional training (thanks to IRMA) and bit of experience evolved after discussing with the rural community we develop some solution but then we have to sit helpless till it fits in the policy agenda of donors. (now which has tilted to climate change issues).....

Was just thinking about alternatives to this... the buzzword these days are social enterprises..as a panacea to this dependence on donor.. but the way its being driven makes me feel ..it has got too much of enterprise and social is somewhere lost... young entrepreneurs r meddling into as it seems to be an easy option for establishing their ventures on the name of social...(i m sorry if i sound offensive but i think these social entrepreneurs should really ask their conscience how much is really social)
Got reminded of the e first page of our TAU in Managing Cooperatives course, where Dr. Kuriens (for those who are not familiar with this name- Amul and White revolution are credited to him/) statement which meant "Till date I have not found any better alternative form of organization than co-operatives to really involve people and uplift their socio-economic status..........."
But then setting up co-operatives in naxal affected areas (co-ops have to have democratically elected functionaries) of India or civil war affected areas of sub-saharan africa demands a lot..

Newer structures of producer company also have not shown much promise......
.....Quest is still on.........Some solution has to be found out......as we say at IRMA..
."If  we won't..... who will ?"

7th Experiment contd..

As discussed in last post, we (Winrock- the ngo with which i m working currently) have put of a decentralized power plant which provides electricity to the village and gets fuelled by seeds from Jatropha plant.

I will be sharing one of the most amazing experience which i got while discussing with the villagers here . In all the villages i have been, my focus has been to ascertain ownership feeling of the project by the village community. This project has been an altogether different experience.

While discussing with the villagers, i tried to elicit the sense of ownership and asked them "whose power plant is this" and to my surprise they said (in chattisgariya....one of our village representative helped me in understanding what he said) its ours-all villagers , i interrogated further and in order to confuse them i said how can it be yours..it should be of winrock or operators or government...one of them replied "साहब , इस प्लांट को लगवाने में हमने सहयोग दिया, जत्रोफा का पौधा हमारे श्रम दान से लगा, हम बीज इकठ्ठा करके देते हैं तब बिजली पैदा होती है और उस बिजली से हमारे घर में लाइट आती है, तब तोह ये हमारा ही हुआ न"
Needless say this is what is the ideal state any development intervention seeks to attain where the beneficiary's get the ownership sense of the project.

"Rekindling the dreams" continues.............................

7th Experiment -"Rekindling the dreams"

7th Experiment begins tomorrow.

When sun sets, the kingdom of darkness rises in close to one lakh villages of the country. Few years back, Ranidehra village in Kabirdham district of Chattisgarh used be one of the representatives of the unspoken and unlighted lives of people in such remote areas. Situation would have been the same today if people in the village and their Panchayat representatives had not shown willingness to join in one of the unique experiments in the field of rural electrification. With a firm faith on local villagers capability to initiate, organize and manage resources, Winrock the NGO I currently working with, envisioned a decentralized electrification power plant for the village to be fuelled using straight Jatropha oil which was never attempted before, either within, or outside the country . The objective of the pilot initiative was to demonstrate the technical and financial viability of running a small decentralized power plant using non-edible vegetable oil as fuel in place of conventional diesel to provide rural electricity.

This project within one year has to be transferred back to rural community for self management which is the ideal situation for any NGO before it removes itself from a project.

Addressing local issues in organizing people, raising capacity of the people to take ownership of the power plant, and most importantly, the linkage between access to energy and the improvement in the quality of life for the villagers have been attempted with utmost commitment . Ownership by local people is always easier said than done. This study which begins from tomorrow is to identify potential areas which can hinder the long term sustainability of the project and develop suitable mechanisms to tackle them. This becomes more important in the light of fact, that government has asked us to replicate this project in 5 villages in Jharkhand.

More-over focus will be on benefit mapping for the local populace thereby giving inputs for policy on rural electrification

Fully congnizant that we can't become sun to light lives but we can atleast become a small lamp.

Let's hope the lamp "Rekindles the dreams"

The telephone under the table

One telephonic conversation shaked my beliefs towards the cause of development. I had to put seriuous questions is it really possible the environment which is prevalent....well I won;t keep the suspense prolonged..........

We had sent a proposal for preparing master plan for solar city Moradabad. On the day of decision, I received a telephone call from Municipal Corporation of the city and person on the other side initially asked some technical questions related to the project and then indirectly asked for bribe for approving the proposal. For that moment I felt shocked, i thought may be i have heard it wrong ( in the last week's post, i had put high admiration for the municipal corporation officers of Dehradun) and asked him to repeat wat he said.....and just that;'s the end, he recieved nice scolding from me and the headset hanged and I knew our proposal was now rejected but I was very happy that atleast credibility of our NGO remained intact.

I don't know whatever best efforts one may put in for improving the lives of downtrodden, presence of such people in the systems will defeat all our endeavours. I am clueless. Someone will have to take a crusade against this "The telephone call under the table"............But Who .....The immediate saviour which our mind creates is we will need some authority to stop this, I hold a slightly different view.

I think answer lies within us. No Crusade (whether by PM or investigating agencies) will work unless it comes from common mass like us. We need to firmly resolve for day today small acts where if not all most of us fall prey to incognitively.

We need to commit to OURSELF that we won;t in anycase give bribe to

* TC in train for confirming the ticket, * Traffic personal for savings some 50-100 odd bugs *getting the LPG cylinder through black .........................I need not elaborate.

The Crusade must begin at the personal level............

Afterall its governor's oath ceremony.

Dehradun-Solar City Master Plan- This is the first full fledged assignment now about to complete in my first 4 month stint at Winrock.
Project as regards to its goals is very ambitious and aims at meeting 10% electricity demand through renewables and energy conservation measures. In almost all cities specially in northern India average power cut is around 2-3 hours which is bound to increase unless some measures are taken up and when this is the condition of cities, villages are even worse.

We were given a task to prepare a master plan which will incorporate energy planning and implementation mechanism. The whole process of preparing this plan revealed several dynamics which prevail across. Most important among these is the removal of bias against government servants. To my surprise i found few people in nagar nigam dehradun who are pushing things and intend to do a good job. Infact city engineer used to sit late till 7:30.
I was wondering if there are good change makers (even though few) why the process is slow. Possibly the last day of the visit, today, gave the answer. Municipal Commissioner and City Engineer had been trying for arranging a meeting with some other departments from where we can get more inputs for energy planning. Initially the date for the said meeting was 3rd, then got shifted to 4th and finally to 6th..thereby extending my stay here. About today they were pretty sure, but out of the blow came another hammer which struck everyone.
My Goodness "His Majesty, Governor had to take oath today", so all government officials had to make arrangements for the ceremony and therefore our meeting with those government officials never happened. I also couldn't;t afford to extend the trip beyond today due to my other assignments.
I dont intend to say that oath ceremony should not be there, infact Governor is the constitutional head of the state. My only contention is, in a country where have so many things in line to bring about improvement and where there are just few committed people to bring those changes, can we afford such pomp and show. Since I was privileged enough to have direct access to higher officials my problem was possibly minuscule, but i wonder there may be many people whose most urgent task's would have got stuck up and they cannot raise a voice also because "

Afterall its governor's oath ceremony.

Was That Really Bad?

Preface

What is a weed? Waldo said “It's the plant whose virtues are not been identified yet”. With a belief that same holds true for we, human beings we present this book. All of us are created unique and have some or other qualities often hidden and unknown to self. When we read through history books we find some individuals who have left an indelible mark on the pages of time. Were they different?, Yes they were, infact as all of us are, only thing they did was they identified this difference, this uniqueness and excelled in it. Most importantly they used their so-seeming failures as stepping stones for success. We analyzed lives of such people and found that most often than not they all hold some common life philosophies which strengthened them when they appeared in the midst of losing everything. Assuming ourselves like weeds whose qualities are yet to be deciphered, we thought of creating a “life-lesson book” which can serve as both as a fertilizer and pesticide for revealing the wonders this weed can do for the world. Someone said “The opposite of talking isn't listening; the opposite of talking is waiting”. Therefore we decided to create a script which interacts with you while you read, which gives you chance to analyze your own life incidents with the illustrative stories and keeps you as close to reality as possible. Hence we present before you not just a “Self-Help Book” but a “Self-Help Workbook”.

If you have seen the movie “Forest-Gump” you would easily recall “My Momma always said life was like a box of chocolates… you never know what you are gonna get.” We at times label certain events as “bad” as they didn't happen, the way we wanted them. We cry, shout back and mourn over such “bad” incidents. The failure in an exam, defeat in a game, losing an election, spoiling of business, death of a dear-one, missing of an important appointment or could be anything “bad” we can think of.

Life moves ahead and we find that so seeming bad incident shapes some important incident in later part of our life. The learning, the experience, the frustration of the “bad” moment somewhere down the line becomes a source of moving ahead. This book is all about connecting these so-seeming bad incidents and facilitating you understand that these all were actually blessing in disguise.

Before we begin our journey, let us set the platform for you. The two anchors “Chirag” & “Rachana” bring about life stories of six old friends who meet each other in an alumni reunion and share their life experiences. These friends in a subtle sense had been following what they call as “WHHR” “Whatever Happens, happens for reason”. The two anchors Chirag and Rachana will gradually compare, analyze and help you evolve the principles of life in the chapter-series called “Manthan” interwoven across the life stories of these friends. The flow of chapters is very scientifically designed. First two chapters share life stories where we will see how belief in WHHR led two of these friends come out of tragic situations and transform their lives. Third chapter analyzes life stories of these two friends from psychological point of view. It shows how our thought constructs restrict us from acting upto full potential and lead to frustration and despair. We will see how WHHR physiologically helps us recognize these hindering thought constructs and pushes us ahead with a rejuvenated energy. Fourth chapter shares life story of another key member of the group. The role of WHHR in his life is analyzed through basic concepts of life energy philosophy and this lets us understand how WHHR is scientifically true. Fifth & Sixth chapter present the life stories of the remaining two members and reflect how WHHR connects for progress of our lives in spiritual sense.

Just try to reflect some (so-seeming) bad incident in your life and for a moment assume it didn't happen, do you find some of your great achievement or happiness obtained at later phase of life being obliterated. Life and all incidents, people whom we meet, problems we face & opportunities we receive all have some forbearing on our future course of action. At times the forbearing turns the entire course of life. Let's jot down those incidents in this workbook and “Try to join dots of life working backwards”.

May be next time when you feel like mourning over some incident you may like to recall “Was that really bad?” and you will shout at Murphy who said “If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something”.

Happy Reading Ahead !!!!

Arun Pandey & Sharda Gautam

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We are looking publishers for this book whose preface u read just now, would be grateful if you can give co-ordinates of anyone whom you know or aware of

Dr. Kurien and Mr. Jyoti Basu

Mr. Jyoti Basu (Long term Chief Minister of West Bengal) and Dr. Kurien (Father of Indian White Revolution) both have been suffering from illness since long time. I was just swapping over the news channels. “When Mr. Jyoti Basu was taken to hospital, when he was sent back to home, which all doctors are taking care of him at home…….and what not was shown in detail. On the other hand Dr. Kurien (88) little younger than Mr. Basu (96) was admitted in critical condition in Bombay and now at his daughter’s home in Chennai didn’t find a few seconds spot on any of the news channels.

I don’t know what contribution Mr. Basu has made to the country or to West Bengal as the longest serving chief minister of West Bengal (people from this state might be able to tell) for making it developed (either in industrial or in social terms) that his illness deserved so much attention of media but I do know and I am sure people who have even a bit of awareness about “Bharat” (different from India) know that Dr, Kurien had been instrumental in making the country which earlier imported milk as self reliant and one of his dream organization Amul is rated among top 21 milk producer’s organization in the world. He has spent his whole life creating farmer’s organizations so that MNC’s are not able to rob rural populace of their due share.

I don’t intend to compare the two people (nor I deem myself capable of) nor I intend to criticize the media (afterall it’s a reflection of viewers choice !! ) but I do sincerely feel that if someone from media group (tv or newspaper) reads blog this do try to give a little space to the living Crusader of India’s post freedom development.

today

Yesterday I completed my first 3 months in the development sector and tomorrow will be completing the quarter century of life.

Was just looking back in an attempt to join the dots.

Life till now had been very comforting with if's and buts of health problems. With whatever dreams i took the voyage in the ocean of social work i feel if not good but atleast it has got a decent start. Recently had a talk with one of my colleague at NIT-Surat Subodh Tyagi, he remarked that -sharda i don;t know much about the things but atleast u have been able to pursue wat u dreamt while many had to leave on the way. I think Almighty has been gracious enough to support me with people whom i call as "Architects of my life" to enable me in this "experiment with reforms".

Future is uncertain- i still don;t know what good i will be rendering to the society at large and specially the sub-saharan africans, but as of now trying to evolve mechanisms for making rural community based organizations sustainable. Gradually more things will unfold specially with the rural electrification assignment in jharkhand and while doing socio-economic life cycle assesment of different alternate interventions across 6 states.

Lets keep the fingers crossed.......

Moving on with mission and as we say in IRMA.... if we won't ............. who will..